Method and apparatus for push and pull distribution of multimedia

• US 7,194,757 B1
• Filed: 03/06/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Starguide Digital Networks Incorporated (Extreme Reach, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rivero, Anibal-Jose, Fish, Laurence, Teschmacher, Lowell E., Roberts, Roswell R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US09/263,801
• Time in Patent Office: 2,936 Days
• Field of Search: 725/86, 725111-114, 725/121, 725/63, 725/67, 725/91, 725/109, 725/138, 725/218, 725/219, 707/217, 717/174, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 725/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6583 Acknowledgement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

The present specification discloses a multimedia distribution system and method. The system and method has a producer workstation, a delivery server, a high-bandwidth one-way satellite transmission system, a terrestrial two-way communication system (including use of the Internet), a plurality of satellite affiliate workstations, and a plurality of terrestrial client workstations. The delivery server receives digital information (envelopes and associated media files) from the producer workstations for delivery of the information to the affiliate and client workstations addressed in the envelope. The affiliate and client workstations provide the delivery server with confirmation of delivery of each received envelope and its associated files. In the absence of receipt of confirmation of delivery, the delivery server re-sends the unconfirmed envelope and associated files to the non-confirming affiliate or client workstation by a two-way terrestrial connection or by a manual system, such as a dub-and-ship service. The delivery server has the ability to push content to affiliates, push-pull content to affiliate and clients, to conventionally pull content from the delivery server, and push the content to affiliates and clients by manual delivery services. The disclosed system and method utilize a unique envelope and addressing protocol and a unique broadcast file transfer protocol for distribution to affiliate workstations by one-way satellite broadcast. The disclosed system and method also make significant use of the TCP/IP, IGMP, and Ethernet protocols and information distribution techniques.

Claims

1. An integrated system for distribution of at least digital audio information to one or more recipients, the integrated distribution system comprising in combination:

A. a one-way high-bandwidth transmission link;

B. a push-pull media server computer system having a server Internet connection to the Internet and broadcast connection to the one-way high bandwidth transmission link;

C. a plurality of re-broadcasting affiliate computer systems located remotely from the media server computer, at least two of said affiliate computer systems each having an affiliate Internet connection to the media server computer system;

D. a plurality of one-way broadcast receivers, each of which one-way broadcast receivers being connected to one among the affiliate computer systems;

whereby;

(i) the push-pull media server computer system may push broadcast the digital audio information through the one-way transmission link to the broadcast receivers for receipt and re-broadcast by receiver-enabled affiliate computer systems; and

(ii) affiliate computer systems may also pull and re-broadcast the digital audio information from said media server computer system through said affiliate Internet connections,

wherein said digital audio information is enclosed in a package including an envelope portion having addressing information for said digital audio information wherein said push-pull media server computer system includes an affiliate address book maintenance application and said push-pull media system is adapted to transfer the affiliate address book to at least one of said plurality of affiliate computer systems.

2. The integrated distribution system of claim 1 wherein the one-way high bandwidth transmission link includes an extraterrestrial satellite.

3. The distribution system of claim 1 wherein at least one broadcast receiver has an ethernet port providing at least a portion of the push broadcast digital information in ethernet-compatible format as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

4. The distribution system of claim 2 wherein each said broadcast receiver is an integrated stand-alone receiver having an ethernet port providing at least a portion of the push broadcast digital information in ethernet-compatible format as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

5. The distribution system of claim 1 wherein at least one broadcast receiver provides IGMP-compatible output as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

6. The distribution system of claim 3 at least one broadcast receiver is an integrated, stand-alone receiver providing IGMP-compatible output as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer.

7. The distribution system of claim 4 wherein the ethernet port also provides IGMP-compatible output as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

8. The distribution system of claim 1 wherein each push-pull media server system includes an Internet-web-based content delivery tracking application automatically providing web-based information delivery screens whereby one or more distal computer systems may connect to the push-pull media server system through the Internet and review said information delivery screens to determine the status of delivery of digital audio, video, or image information to affiliate computer systems.

12. The distribution system of claim 7 wherein each push-pull media server computer system includes an Internet-web-based content delivery tracking application whereby one or more distal computer systems may connect to the push-pull media server system through the Internet and determine the status of delivery of digital audio, video, or image information to affiliate computer systems.

19. The distribution system of claim 8 wherein each said broadcast receiver has an ethernet port providing at least a portion of the push broadcast digital information in ethernet-compatible format as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

9. An integrated system for distribution of digital multimedia information to one or more recipients, the integrated distribution system comprising in combination:

A. one or more one-way bandwidth portions separate from the Internet;

B. a push-pull media server computer system having a server Internet connection to the Internet and a broadcast connection to the one or more dedicated one-way bandwidth portions;

C. a plurality of production computer systems located remotely from the media server computer system, at least two of said production computer systems each having a producer Internet connection to the Internet and thereby to the media server computer system;

D. a plurality of affiliate computer systems located remotely from the media server computer system, at least two of said affiliate computer systems each having an affiliate Internet connection to the Internet and thereby to the media server computer system; and

E. a plurality of broadcast receivers, each of which broadcast receivers being connected to one among the plurality of affiliate computer systems;

whereby;

(i) the push-pull media server system may receive digital audio, video, or image information from the production computer systems;

(ii) the push-pull media server system may push broadcast the digital audio, video, or image information through the one or more one-way bandwidth portions to the broadcast receivers for receipt by receiver-enabled affiliate computer systems; and

(iii) affiliate computer systems may also pull digital audio, video, or image information from said media server system through said affiliate Internet connection,

wherein each push-pull media server computer system includes an affiliate address book maintenance application and said push-pull media system is adapted to transfer the affiliate address book to production computer systems.

10. The integrated distribution system of claim 9 wherein the one or more one-way bandwidth portions at least one dedicated high bandwidth channel separate from the Internet.

11. The integrated distribution system of claim 9 wherein one or more or said one-way bandwidth portions is provided by an extraterrestrial satellite.

13. The distribution system of claim 9 wherein each push-pull media server computer server system includes a content delivery tracking application whereby one or more production computer systems may connect to the push-pull media server system and determine the status of delivery of digital audio, video, or image information to affiliate computer systems.

14. The distribution system of claim 10 wherein each push-pull media server computer system includes an Internet-web-based content delivery tracking application providing at least one web-screen whereby one or more distal computer systems may connect to the push-pull media server system through the Internet and determine the status of delivery of digital audio, video, or image information to affiliate computer systems.

15. The distribution system of claim 11 wherein each push-pull media server computer system includes an Internet-web-based content delivery tracking application providing at least one web-screen whereby one or more distal computer systems may connect to the push-pull media server system through the Internet and determine the status of delivery of digital audio, video, or image information to affiliate computer systems.

16. The distribution system of claim 9 wherein at least one broadcast receiver has an ethernet port providing at least a portion of the push broadcast digital information in Ethernet-compatible format as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

17. The distribution system of claim 10 wherein at least one broadcast receiver has an ethernet port providing at least a portion of the push broadcast digital information in ethernet-compatible format as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

18. The distribution system of claim 11 wherein each said broadcast receiver has an ethernet port providing at least a portion of the push broadcast digital information in ethernet-compatible format as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

21. The distribution system of claim 11 wherein each said broadcast receiver is an integrated, stand-alone receiver having an ethernet port providing at least a portion of the push broadcast digital information in ethernet-compatible format as input to the receiverenabled affiliate computer system.

22. The distribution system of claim 15 wherein at least one said broadcast receiver has an ethernet port providing at least a portion of the push broadcast digital information in ethernet-compatible format as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

23. The distribution system of claim 9 wherein at least one broadcast receiver is a stand-alone integrated receiver and provides IGMP-compatible output as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

24. The distribution system of claim 10 wherein at least one broadcast receiver is a stand-alone integrated receiver and provides IGMP-compatible output as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

25. The distribution system of claim 11 wherein at least one broadcast receiver is a stand-alone integrated receiver and provides IGMP-compatible output as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

26. The distribution system of claim 13 wherein at least one broadcast receiver is a stand-alone integrated receiver and provides IGMP-compatible output as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

27. The distribution system of claim 13 wherein at least one broadcast receiver is a stand-alone integrated receiver and provides IGMP-compatible output as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

28. The distribution system of claim 18 wherein at least one broadcast receiver is a stand-alone integrated receiver and provides IGMP-compatible output as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

29. The distribution system of claim 21 wherein each said broadcast receiver is a stand-alone integrated receiver and provides IGMP-compatible output as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system.

20. An integrated system for distribution of digital multimedia information to one or more recipients, the integrated distribution system comprising in combination:

A. one or more one-way bandwidth portions separate from the Internet;

B. a push-pull media server computer system having a server Internet connection to the Internet and a broadcast connection to the one or more dedicated one-way bandwidth portions;

C. a plurality of production computer systems located remotely from the media server computer system, at least two of said production computer systems each having a producer Internet connection to the Internet and thereby to the media server computer system;

D. a plurality of affiliate computer systems located remotely from the media server computer system, at least two of said affiliate computer systems each having an affiliate Internet connection to the Internet and thereby to the media server computer system; and

E. a plurality of broadcast receivers, each of which broadcast receivers being connected to one among the plurality of affiliate computer systems;

whereby;

(i) the push-pull media server system may receive digital audio, video, or image information from the production computer systems;

(ii) the push-pull media server system may push broadcast the digital audio, video, or image information through the one or more one-way bandwidth portions to the broadcast receivers for receipt by receiver-enabled affiliate computer systems; and

(iii) affiliate computer systems may also pull digital audio, video, or image information from said media server system through said affiliate Internet connection,

wherein one or more or said one-way bandwidth portions is provided by an extraterrestrial satellite,

wherein each push-pull media server computer system includes an Internet-web-based content delivery tracking application providing at least one web-screen whereby one or more distal computer systems may connect to the push-pull media server system through the Internet and determine the status of delivery of digital audio, video, or image information to affiliate computer systems

wherein at least one said broadcast receiver is an integrated, stand-alone receiver having an ethernet port providing at least a portion of the push broadcast digital information in ethernet-compatible format as input to the receiver-enabled affiliate computer system

wherein said push-pull media server computer system includes an affiliate address book maintenance application and said push-pull media system is adapted to transfer the affiliate address book to at least one of said plurality of production computer systems.